There is the protest songs and then there is the manifesto-in-music. The You Don’t Decide by Bevin squarely belongs to the second category, being a fearless statement of physical independence that does not demand permission or dilute its edges to make it popular with the general audience. It is all the American Gothic Rock that is unapologetic and mixes grit, beauty and righteous fury into something really powerful.
The vocals of Bevin here are the indisputable highlight, and an anthemic vocal that is soaring with force can hardly be ignored once the first note is heard. Her performance is full of technical virtuosity, which is supported by her classical-to-classic-rock roots, and unpolished emotional sincerity that helps to make each word count. It is not a show of anger but the actual one, as she has trained to be the kind of woman to be throughout her career with legends like Motley Crue, Tim Armstrong, and Jimmy Cliff.
The manufacturing balances her intensity with sweeping guitar sound that is rich and provides an electrifying background. The alt-rock sound is energetic and lively, leaving the space to be occupied by the voice of Bevin but has just enough muscularity to support the defiant attitude of the song. It is the type of a set up that makes you want to blast the sound and have the message pass through without any filter.
The difference between You Don’t Decide and other stories about patriarchy is that it does not address them on their level. The song is in the form of an open letter where the women are reclaiming their own experiences and the powers need to be informed where their broken laws and weaker egos can go. It is freedom disguised as a perversion, revolt made hymn.
Defining her sound as American Gothic Rock and being based in Los Angeles, Bevin fills her music with fighters, dreamers, rebels, and visionaries- the ghosts and fringe inhabitants of the American Dream. You Don’t Decide is a perfect embodiment of such a vision: unshakable, uncompromising, and so much needed. This is a rock music that has a purpose, grit and a voice that can not be silenced.
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